Wind is an all natural energy drink packed with nutrients to fuel adventures of the body and mind, packaged in an eco-friendly bottle that is made from cellulose and is biodegradable/recyclable. The ideal target market will be:
- 18-35 years old
- Students, parents, and young professionals
- Eco-friendly/Environmentally responsible
- Health conscious
- Nature-loving outdoorsy types
- Earn $18,000-50,000 annually
- Embrace/accept alternative lifestyles
- Read books, listen to independent music
- Adventurous, enjoy traveling
- Thinkers, experiencers, strivers
- Non-conformists
- Internet Savvy
What matters to this market is a combination of image, green attributes, and health. They want to be cutting-edge, ahead of the crowd (or outside of it), and to feel intelligent for making good choices for their body and the world. Wind is a more grown-up energy drink, not geared towards athletes or extremists, but everyday folks who want a sharper mind, a burst of energy, and no guilt.
IMC Objectives
Wind will have to appeal to the target market, while emphasizing its health benefits as compared to other product in the marketplace. It's image will need to be clearly shown across all communications, making sure that it is not advertised as a performance drink, but as a drink for people who are smart enough to make the right choice. This method will appeal to people who will be sold by a little ego-stroking, making them feel smart and responsible for choosing Wind over the competition. Customer's current attitudes towards energy drinks will need to be changed, as Wind will seek to attract customers who currently are not regular buyers in the category due to their perceptions of energy drinks. In summary, the IMC objectives for the campaign will be to enhance the image of Wind Energy Drink by emphasizing it's health and energy benefits as well as it's eco-friendly packaging, and to change customer beliefs about energy drinks by offering an alternative to what already exists on the market.
Budget Planning
Being a new product, the objective and task budget will be used for the IMC campaign. The breakdown among components will be as follows:
With the way the budget is allocated, there will still be a majority emphasis on advertising, yet a more widespread distribution among the remaining 72%. In order to get this beverage placed in stores, where space is limited due to the high level of competition, there will need to be a greater level of personal selling. There will need to a sales force dedicated to ensuring that the product gets places where it needs to be, such as convenience stores, fitness centers, grocery stores, college campuses, and local, privately-owned coffee shops and deli's in urban areas. There also needs to be a significantly equal amount of sponsorships, consumer promotions, and interactive marketing. Promotions are needed to offer discount incentives to consumers to keep the price competitive with Rockstar and No Fear drinks, which are perpetually on sale. As many consumers simply buy "whatever is on sale", a discount will encourage them to buy it, and become a loyal customer.
Sponsorships are a seemingly popular way for energy drinks to be marketed, as evidenced by Rockstar and Monster. Wind would benefit from sponsoring green events, such as Milwaukee's Rock the Green Concert, an music event which promotes environmentally friendly practices and touts "zero waste". Other charity events would be appropriate as well, along with local music events and street festivals that are associated with the hip, eco-friendly target market.
Interactive marketing will include paid spots on recorded television shows, such as those on-demand, on Netflix, and on Hulu. There will also be ads featured on Facebook, a blog, a website, and mobile marketing. Direct marketing will be limited, but include some coupons being sent to select homes in conjunction with the website and consumer promotions. Public relations will be used sparingly, but will include street teams that go to urban gardens to offer volunteer help, and to visit farmers markets, as well as college campuses and libraries to hand out samples, coupons, and swag. This will be a great way to reach the urban-dwelling young professionals and students being targeted. There will be some television ads in the campaign as well, as much of the target market still does watch tv- the distribution of commercials will be focused on specific cable television shows that are watched by the target market.
As for other categories, there will be billboards, as well as other out-of-home advertising such as bus wraps and bus shelters, and perhaps a creative bike rack, since the target market is on the go, and more likely to use public transportation and ride bikes.Newspapers will not be utilized, since a broader market is being targeted and the target market is more likely to get their news online. Some magazine ads will be used, mainly in magazines such as AdBusters, Living Green, ReadyMade, and other alternative lifestyle/counterculture targeted publications where the target market will read them. Radio will be the other significant portion, as Wind will sponsor independent radio shows/stations, such as 88.9 Milwaukee, where there are no ads, it's public radio, and the target market listens in often. There will also be ads on other independent rock stations that play alternative and indie rock music.
All combined, the marketing efforts will be specifically targeted to maximize exposure to the target market, thus achieving the objectives of communicating the brand's image and personality, while encouraging sales to those who will appreciate the health and environmental benefits of Wind Energy Drink.
Student Project: All content in this blog is fictitious and is for educational purposes only.
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